Political Quotes

“I commend Senator Boxer for her leadership on this legislation. I co-sponsored this bill in the last Congress and I am proud to support it again. The Mexico City policy, also known as the ``global gag rule,'' is bad policy and a bad idea. Let us be clear what this issue is not about. The issue is not about abortion--although it is often portrayed as such by the proponents of Mexico City. Rather, the provision is about free speech and democratic values. Longstanding law--a law authored by former Senator Jesse Helms-- already prohibits the use of U.S. funds to perform or promote abortions. Let me repeat that. Current law, on the books for nearly three decades and authored by our former colleague Jesse Helms, already bans the use of U.S. taxpayer dollars to perform or promote abortions. Any assertion to the contrary is false. The ``Mexico City'' policy goes much further: it demands that foreign, nongovernmental organizations which receive U.S. population assistance funds agree that they will stop using their own funds to discuss with their own governments how abortion will be regulated.”